The Best Moisturizing Conditioner for Dry Hair: 10 Ingredients You Want

Index

• Why traditional conditioner doesn’t cut it

• 10 ingredients in the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair

• The very best conditioner for dry hair

• Keep your hair happy and hydrated

Finding a truly hydrating conditioner that doesn’t weigh your hair down can be surprisingly difficult. That’s because the majority of traditional conditioners are full of silicones and chemicals that harm more than they help. So what is the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair?

Today I’m going to tell you all about the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair. I’ll tell you what ingredients you should look for (and avoid) and what type of conditioner you should steer towards. 

Why traditional conditioner doesn’t cut it

Most “deep hydration” conditioners on the shelves are NOT the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair.

Why?

The majority of store-bought conditioners are full of chemicals, parabens, sulfates, and silicones that can truly wreak havoc on your hair. 

Silicones weigh your hair down and actually create a barrier that prevents moisture from accessing your hair. 

Sulfates, on the other hand, can clean TOO deeply and strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it more dry and damaged than ever before. That means you definitely want to grab a sulfate-free conditioner. 

So what is the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair?

Quite simply, it’s a natural conditioner.

Now, not ALL natural conditioners are geared towards dry hair, but the ones that are contain ingredients that specifically target the factors that are drying and damaging your hair in the first place. AND that actually hydrate your hair.

But what ingredients should you look for? How do you know if a product is actually the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair?

Let’s take a look at my favorite ingredients for anyone struggling to lock in moisture. 

10 ingredients in the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair

Here are my top recommendations for people with dry hair:

1. Shea butter

If your hair is dry, you obviously need some moisture! And what better way to get it than with shea butter? Shea butter is full of fatty acids and vitamins that make it exceptionally good at hydrating your hair. 

Shea butter penetrates into your hair shaft instead of sitting on top of it. It can protect against heat damage and smooth the frizziest of hair, making this ingredient top of the list! 

2. Pracaxi oil

The best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair contains pracaxi oil. Pracaxi oil comes from the pentaclethra macroloba tree, and it is a natural conditioner. Pracaxi improves hair shine, reduces frizz, and helps combat dryness. 

Pracaxi oil has a high concentration of behenic acid, a fatty acid that is super moisturizing for your hair. It also contains lignoceric acid as well, which can strengthen damaged hair strands.

3. Geranium oil

There are very few essential oils that can target both over- and under-production of sebum (scalp oils) but Geranium oil is one of them! Geranium can balance your scalp’s pH and regulate sebum production, so you create a healthy amount of oil to hydrate your strands. 

4. Ylang ylang oil

One of the other essential oils that can regulate sebum production is ylang-ylang essential oil. I love using this oil because it smells so fantastic. If you don’t know much about ylang-ylang, it’s a flower that comes from the Cananga Odorata tree and smells a bit like jasmine or orange blossom. 

Not only does ylang-ylang help with your oil production, it’s also antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, so it can soothe an irritated or infected scalp. 

On top of all that, ylang-ylang oil is very hydrating, making it a perfect ingredient in the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair. 

5. Fatty alcohols

While most alcohols dry out your hair, fatty alcohols do the opposite – they are actually moisturizing! Look for products that contain lauryl, stearyl, cetyl, cetearyl, or oleyl alcohols.

6. Hydrolyzed plant protein

Everyone knows protein is good for your hair (hello keratin and collagen). But did you know that plant protein can be just as beneficial? Hydrolyzed plant protein like wheat protein or rice protein can truly improve the health of your hair.

Hydrolyzation breaks down protein into tiny pieces that can easily be absorbed into your hair shafts. Once it has been absorbed, hydrolyzed plant protein can improve the tensile strength of your hair and control moisture loss, making your hair more healthy and hydrated. 

7. Tocopheryl acetate

The best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair contains tocopheryl acetate, which is a bioavailable form of vitamin E. Vitamin E is not only moisturizing, it is full of antioxidants that can protect your hair against sun and heat-styling damage.

8. Glyceryl caprylate

Glyceryl caprylate is a co-emulsifier made from vegetable oils. It helps blend together all the ingredients in the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair, AND it hydrates your hair in the process. Win-win!

9. Citronellol

Citronellol is a type of citronella oil – and it’s good for more than just keeping away mosquitos. Citronellol can nourish dry scalps and regulate scalp oil, too. It even has antifungal properties and can help treat dandruff, making citronellol an ingredient worth considering for people with dry hair.

10. Lactic acid

You would think an acid might dry your hair out more, but lactic acid is actually very beneficial, which is why the best conditioner for dry hair uses it! 

Lactic acid can dissolve product buildup and dead skin to improve your hair health and help you soak up moisture from the nourishing ingredients in your conditioner. 

So now that you have an idea of what ingredients are most beneficial for parched strands, what IS the best moisturizing conditioner for dry hair?

The very best conditioner for dry hair

The very best conditioner for dry hair is actually a conditioner bar. If you don’t know how to use a conditioner bar, just hear me out.

The Ultra-Moisturizing Conditioner Bar from Bars Over Bottles contains every ingredient listed above and then some. It is sulfate-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, and cruelty-free. What’s more, because it’s a solid beauty product, it’s plastic-free – which makes it great for the planet.

But conditioner bars benefit more than just the environment. When you compare conditioner bars vs liquid conditioners, the bars usually contain cleaner, more natural ingredients, and are actually more budget-friendly. (You use one bar for every 2-3 full bottles of liquid conditioner.)

The Ultra-Moisturizing Conditioner Bar for dry hair is specially formulated to give your hair deep, long-lasting moisture and shine without weighing down your strands. 

Keep your hair happy and hydrated

Now that you know the best conditioner bar for dry hair, it’s time to examine the rest of your hair routine. 

Are you using the best moisturizing shampoo? After all, the best conditioner bar for dry hair will work best when combined with other moisturizing hair products. 

Luckily I have the best moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in my collection, along with an immensely hydrating hair mask bar, so you’ll never have to worry about a dry hair day again.